Vettori unavailable for West Indies

Sidelined for most of 2013 with Achilles tendon problems, New Zealand’s champion spin bowler said he wasn’t yet confident he could cope with the intensity of international cricket, and wasn’t prepared to let his team down by attempting a premature comeback.

Vettori underwent surgery in June and began his on-field rehabilitation earlier this month with the SKYCITY Northern Knights, successfully negotiating a clutch of HRV Twenty20 games, and one four-day Plunket Shield match.

However, he said yesterday it was still too early to guarantee his fitness in the international arena, given the amount of time he’s been out of the game.

Vettori instead hopes to make incremental advances over the next six weeks with the Northern Knights, and Australian T20 side, the Brisbane Heat.

“International cricket, and in particular, Test cricket, places enormous demands on the body and I simply haven’t played enough recently to be confident of meeting those demands,” he said.

“The short-term plan is to concentrate on my existing duties with ND and Brisbane, and re-evaluate my fitness in the New Year.

“What I can’t afford to do is throw myself back into the international arena prematurely and re-injure myself.

“It wouldn’t be any good for me; it wouldn’t be any good for the team.”

Vettori, who declined to negotiate a 2013-14 New Zealand Cricket contract in July because of concerns over the Achilles tendon injury, has played just three One Day InternationaIs this year, all during the Champions Trophy in June.